On 28 May, the Bundesnetzagentur completed the planning approval procedures for two further sections of the SuedLink direct current line. Tennet and TransnetBW, the two organisations responsible for the project, have thus received the comprehensive approvals for the conversion of the line. The new routes are to be laid between Brunsbüttel and Wilster and Wewelsfleth as well as between Edemissen and Strodthagen and will largely be laid as underground cables.
SuedLink: Backbone of the energy transition
SuedLink consists of two direct current lines. Project 3 connects Brunsbüttel in Schleswig-Holstein with Großgartach/Leingarten in Baden-Württemberg. Project 4 runs from Wilster to Bergrheinfeld in Bavaria. Both lines are planned as underground cables. They will run parallel for a large part of the route. The transmission system operators TenneT and TransnetBW are responsible for planning, construction and operation.
Brunsbüttel-Wilster and Wewelsfleth route
This section marks the start of the SuedLink project. Projects 3 and 4 of the Federal Requirements Plan Act initially run independently of each other and meet within the approved section. From there onwards, they run parallel to each other, as is the case for the majority of the SuedLink.
The entire section is located in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The approved route lengths are around 14 km for project 3 and around 8 km for project 4. Both lines are predominantly constructed as underground cables. An overhead line is only planned for a short section to connect the Brunsbüttel converter to the local substation.
The route of Project 3 begins at the grid connection point at the Brunsbüttel substation. From there, the line initially runs in an easterly direction across the urban area of Brunsbüttel and the municipality of Büttel to Sankt Margarethen. It passes Sankt Margarethen to the north, continues eastwards to Siethwende and then swings southwards to Brokdorf. The section ends north of the B 431 federal road in the municipality of Wewelsfleth, west of Großwisch.
Project 4 starts at the grid connection point at the Wilster substation and runs in a southerly direction to Brokdorf. There it meets the route of project 3. Both lines end at the same point north of the B 431 federal road.
The planning approval decision of the Bundesnetzagentur has been available on the websites: https://www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben3-a1and https://www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben4-a1 since 16 June 2025.
Route of the Strodthagen line and the state border between Lower Saxony and Hesse
The section extends from the town of Einbeck to the state border between Lower Saxony and Hesse near Friedland. The route begins in the town of Einbeck, between the villages of Edemissen and Strodthagen, and runs mainly in a southerly direction along the entire section. It crosses the southern part of Lower Saxony and ends west of Friedland on the border with Hesse. Along the way, the line crosses under both the ICE line and the A7 motorway south of Göttingen near Rosdorf.
The planning approval decision will be published by the Bundesnetzagentur on its website on 27 June 2025. Further information can be found at: http://www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben3-c1and http://www.netzausbau.de/vorhaben4-c1
The Federal Network Agency regularly updates its forecasts on the progress of the electricity grid expansion. These can be viewed at http://www.netzausbau.de/prognose.
